The Press Box.

Football Player Sues Purdue

August 04, 1993

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — Former Indiana all-state football player Ryan Harmon and his parents sued Purdue University on Tuesday, claiming that coach Jim Colletto had mentally and physically abused Harmon before he dropped off the team last fall.

The lawsuit, filed in Morgan Superior Court, claims that while Harmon was on the team "he was physically hit, punched, kicked and shoved with regularity as a method of coaching by Jim Colletto."

He also was called a variety of vulgar names by the coach, the suit claims.

Because of the treatment, "Harmon experienced thoughts of suicide, abuse of alcohol, deterioration of social relationships and adverse effects on his academic endeavors and depression," the suit claims.

Harmon's parents, Robert and Donna Harmon, claim they were deceived and that the university perpetrated a fraud that induced their son to attend Purdue.

Athletic Director Morgan Burke said the university had conducted an extensive investigation into Harmon's complaints and "not a single person supported or in any way confirmed the allegations against Coach Colletto."